1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a support for holding a survey rod.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,192,076; 4,290,207; 4,339,880; 4,356,637; and 4,366,940 all cover devices to hold survey rods. Such devices, however, all employ tripods; and the legs of these devices do not automatically extend and retract as one forcibly plants, i.e., places the tip of the survey rod on a surface and pushes a portion of the device toward the surface, and lifts the rod.
The legs of the tripods for the stands of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,988,064 and 5,934,628 do automatically extend and retract as the tripod is placed and removed; but the implements of these patents cannot hold a survey rod in such a manner that the tip of the rod can visibly be placed on a survey point. Even if the survey rod could replace the main post 11 in the device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,064, the lower holding member 40 would preclude the tip of the rod from reaching a survey point. Similarly, even if the survey rod could be placed in the lower tubular section 12 of the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,628, base 18 in the first embodiment would preclude the tip of the rod from reaching a survey point; and the lower tubular section 12 in the second embodiment would preclude viewing of the tip of the rod reaching a survey point.